Culturecide of the Islamic Republic of Iran

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Amil Imani
by Amil Imani
26-Jun-2008
 

The intolerant monolithic Islamists are on the march, lashing out with fury at non-Islamic people and cultures. This cult of violence and death spares neither the living nor the non-living heritage of humanity: wherever and whenever it can it commits culturecide—wiping out other people’s precious cultural treasures. Not long ago, the Islamists’ destruction of the Buddha statues in Afghanistan shocked the world and exposed the savage nature of this cult of violence depravity. Yet, much more destruction on a broad range is taking place in Iran under the direction of the Islamist theocrats.

The Islamist zealots ruling Iran for the past 30 years have undertaken a systematic campaign of endangering and destroying the cultural sites of pre-Islamic Iran, ignoring the numerous petitions and pleas of the Iranian people.

For one, blatantly rejecting the repeated appeals of individuals and organizations such as the International Committee to Save the Archeological Sites of Pasargad, the Islamic Republic proceeded with the construction of the Sivand Dam which went into operation on April 2007 by the order of the ruling Islamists’ point man, President Ahmadinejad.

What many experts have warned
and feared has already come to pass. The inevitable elevation of humidity from the Sivand Dam has given rise to massive invasion of Cyrus the Great Mausoleum by lichen and fungi. Cracks have started to appear on the stonework of tomb of King Cyrus, humanity’s first author of the charter of human rights.

The building of the Sivand Dam by the Islamist government was launched under the pretext that it would be a boon for the farmers. Impartial experts, including expert geologists from the University of Shiraz, have countered with evidence to the exact opposite outcome. Farmers in the area had worked diligently for centuries and habilitated the originally salty soil. Water from the new dam is bound to make it the farmers’ bane by returning the soil to salinity once again, experts warned.

In order to discredit those who protested against constructing the ruinous dam, the Islamic Republic’s Vice President Esfandiar Rahim Mashai, who ironically heads the state culture and heritage organization, has claimed that groups "opposing the Islamic Republic" are behind the protests.

Mr. Rahim-Mashai who was appointed as the director of ICHTHO after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was “elected” as the regime's new President said in a press conference in March 2006 that he had never heard of the Sivand Dam or the Bolaghi Valley. The Pasargad Heritage Foundation has filed a complaint against Mr. Mashai for a hearing on his intentional systematic endeavor to destroy ancient cultural treasures of the Iranian people.

The destructive effects of the Dam is also impacted the air quality of the area. According to Amir-Teimur Khosravi the Mayor of Pasargadae, "the level of humidity near the mausoleum of Cyrus the Great is so high that none of the Pasargadae's residents have ever experienced it before. There is constant flow of damp and humidity smells in the Pasargadae plains that are coming from Bolaghi Gorge. In the Southwest section of the mausoleum, which is considered the entrance to the archaeological site, the subterranean waters have surfaced and caused cracks to appear on the stonework.”

Khosravi continued, “Pasargadae has always been renowned for its clean and pleasant weather, but now, as a result of high levels of humidity produced from [the artificial lake behind] the Sivand dam, the area suffers from a sultry condition.”

Referring to the gorge, "it is far from here," said one of the government’s functionaries at the dam site, which is slowly filling up. "There will be no damage." People in the provincial capital Shiraz—renowned as being the capital of poets and beautiful roses, as well as for its imperial Persian ruins—have a different opinion. They say the project may increase humidity in the arid area near the city of Shiraz, which they believe could damage the limestone mausoleum of Cyrus the Great.

From its inception, the Islamic Republic has waged a systematic campaign of wiping out any and all cultural heritage and even joyous pre-Islamic festivals of the Iranian people: replacing Iranian’s traditional happy celebratory events such as Nowruz , Yalda, and many more with endless death-centered Islamic mourning. The Islamists aim to obliterate the Persian antiquities as well as any vestiges of the pre-Islamic Iran. They have put in charge inept puppets as archeology experts so that it would justify their terrorist action against Persian antiquities.

The illegitimate government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a quisling foreign entity that has betrayed Iranian people, its tradition, its glorious pre-Islamic achievements, and is incessantly working against Iran’s national interest. Iran, under the stranglehold and machinations of these parasites, has been transformed, in less than three decades, to the lead perpetrator of all that is abhorrent to humanity.

Although the Islamic Republic’s record speaks dismally for itself, there are numerous reasons for its relentless campaign of cultural genocide. The Islamic regime's decision to slowly destroy Cyrus the Great tomb is in part motivated by the realization that the people revere King Cyrus for the just laws he instituted as well as his emancipation of the Jews some 2500 years ago. Hence, this benevolent king is despised by the Islamists for symbolizing what are truly Iranian and anathema to Islamic credo, as well as keeping the love of non-Islamic nationalism alive in the heart of the populace.

Under the guise of development, the Islamic Republic has launched a comprehensive program of obliterating any physical traces of Iran’s rich archeological sites. A partial list of these acts is listed below.

* Sahand Dam in East Azerbaijan which will submerge the 6000-year-old Kul Tepe site. Archaeologists agree that over ten ancient sites in the region, some from the fifth millennium B.C. will be buried under the water, according to an official of the East Azerbaijan Province Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department.

*Alborz Dam in Mazandaran province, which caused irreversible damage to the cultural heritage of the eastern part of Mazandaran province.

 *Karun Dam in Khuzestan province is submerging the ancient sites of the Izeh region.

* Mulla Sadra Dam to Drown 7000 Years of History. “Mehr Ali Farsi is one of the most important archeological sites of Fars province. Archeological excavations in this historical site could reveal many unknown facts about the pre-historic period of Fars province. “Despite the fact that this historical site had been identified before the inundation of Mulla Sadra Dam, the authorities of the dam have neglected the necessity for carrying out excavations in this area and started the flooding of the dam in a very short time,” according to Azizollah Rezayi, head of archeology team in Mehr Ali Farsi historical site.

*Salman-e Farsi Dam was inundated in 2007, without the CHTHO’s permission. It flooded a 350-hectare Sassanid city, which had been inhabited since the pre-Achaemenid era.

*Destruction of one of the biggest historical sites in the Chahar-Mahal Bakhtiari
province by the Islamic Republic Ministry of Road and Transportation. A local archaeologist who wished to remain anonymous for his safety said: "Israel should not be worried about the [Islamic] regime's threat of wiping it off from the map; it is we [Iranians] who should be worried, as the regime is determined to wipe us off of the map."

He added "everyday this anti-Iranian regime is coming up with a new plot to destroy our heritage. One day our heritage is being threatened by dam projects, the next it’s road constructions. They claim these are development projects, but if this is the case why is our heritage being destroyed in the darkness of night and in secret - and why don't they sit down with the cultural authorities to find a solution to carry out their so-called development projects, and at the same time safeguard our national heritage?"

*45,000 years old Paleolithic site of Kaftarkhun, located in Iran’s Isfahan province, has been completely annihilated to build a horse racing course while the eastern parts of this ancient site have seen irreversible damage due to quarry blasting.

*1000-hectare area of a historical site belonging to Parthian dynastic era (248 BCE-224CE) in Khuzestan province has also fallen victim to developmental constructions of the Islamic regime’s Hamidieh Azad University in Hamidieh city.

* Tomb of Firuzan (Abu-Lu'lu'ah) in Kashan destroyed, in part to placate the Sunni Arabs. This Persian hero killed the Islam’s third Caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattāb, avenging the death on thousands of Iranian by Omar’s Islamic aggressors.

The inanimate historical sites of the world are indeed living schools where invaluable lessons are held in their repositories. Preserving, exploring and studying these sites tell a great deal about humanity’s past, its triumphs and defeat.

Destroying these sites, no matter where they are in the world is tantamount to the burning of libraries. Only truly barbarians such as the bigoted Islamists fail to appreciate these treasures that belong to the entire human family. It is the Islamists’ belief that any and all information, ideals and practices that fall outside of Islam are void and must be eliminated.

It is the imperative duty of all enlightened people to steadfastly counter the relentless monolithic Islamic culturcide taking place in Iran or wherever in the world the scourge of Islamism invades.

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Mona 19

Re:11101932

by Mona 19 on

Dear one...You're right I do have different opinion about Islam...and why I converted to Bahai Faith it's looooooooooong story(maybe one day I write about it in my blog :)...I agree with some of your points you mentioned about Islam but not agree with rest of them.

We all have different points of view but my earnest hope is that someday we reach the maturity and put our differences away and look at our similarities...because I believe in Unity in diversity (not uniformity).

 

with best of Luck to you and all my dear hamvatans,salamat va movafagh bashid

 

Respectfully,Mona ;)


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Here is my take!

by Anonymous Eeroni (not verified) on

This article is so one-sided that is more like a joke and the people who support it are among the most unjust that I have ever seen.

First of all, as an Iranian I am disgusted at this Christian Iranian (Amil Imani) to trash my religion in any possible way he can.

He keeps on going about the 'things' that were destroyed because of 'islamists'. If you worry about some Buddah idols that were destroyed and that makes Islam bad, then lets talk about the filty policies of the Judeo-Christian West and their pet Israel and what they have done.

* The Iran-Iraq war was started by the Judeo-Christian West which caused the death of over one million Iranians.

* Invasions of Iraq and other moslem countries and killing their moslem population for the sake of oil, power and greed.

* Genocide of bosnian moslems by Christian orthodox Serbs and the blind eye that West had towards that conflict. Yeah, Orthodox like you Imani.

* Do I need to talk about injustices in Palestine?

So whatever church you go to Imani, is not cutting it. Instead of the teachings of Christ, they are telling you about the teachings of Anti-Christ.

11101932, you are right on one issue! You deserve to be called any name from the book of filth. You sound like another psychopatic and messed up non-moslem who can not say a single word that is just and decent.

So don't say that Islam and islamic leaders are this and that. Most Christian and Jewish leaders have betrayed Christ and God and they are still doing it as of now.

Now that was my angry side reacting to the published trash on this blog.

Fortunately I, will not do the same injustice towards minorities. I will treat them decently. But after these massive anti-Islamic postings, I can not speak for any other pissed off Iranian and what they might do.

One last thing; Like the other so called "Christian" which I would rather call Anti-Christian, sidekick J. Rashidian who always hides behind the skirt of women, this guy, Imani is also another coward and the same back-stabber to Christ.

There are some Christians and Jews that accept Islam as a religion of God. Even though they are not moslems, they are one with us. The others if they remain neutral, they can live as our neighbors and we moslems still treat them as a good neighbor. The rats, like the bunch I mentioned above will have their faces under the foot of Islam. Now, doesn't that sound just?


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Mona (Khanum )19

by 11101932 (not verified) on

I have read a few of your posts here and I am impressed by the quality person you are. If I recall correctly you are an x-Muslim and you say that you don't share Imani's belief when it comes to Islam.
Well, you certainly have every right to your belief. Many others believe that Islam was a fraud from the get go. Many more believe that Islam was a genuine revelation from the creator. Yet, the fact is that Islam of today has become a deadly force for much injustice, backwardness and oppression -- particularly when it comes to the rights of minorities and women. So, Islam may have served some good -- and that remains a question-- in the past. Yet it has no redeeming value at all in the 21st century. Islam has become a mere tool in the hands of the ruthless greedy clergy and their hangers-on.
So, decent Muslims who have been victims of this clergy fraud have to wake up and stop being exploited and manipulated. It seems that you are one of those smart people who has done that.
In my view, no religion is by far superior to any religion that practices discrimination, oppression and promotes hatred among people.Islam of today does exactly those things and more.
Again, it is good to have courageous people like you around.


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Well-written and Thoroughly

by abc (not verified) on

Well-written and Thoroughly researched article. Thanks Amil; however, given the anti-Iranian nature of this regime, I'm not surprised a bit.

In a recent visit to Fars province the supreme leader of ignorance, Khamenie Ayatollah Khamenie said: "Persapolis Is a Throne of Hatred!"

This is a partial translation of Khameni’s latest bigoted/racist anti-Iranian example of culturicide:

The leader of Islamic Republic of Iran, on Wednesday morning and during a gathering with Fars province’s governor and authorities declared that Persepolis or Takht-e-Jamshid is the symbol of tyranny and that it belongs to Iran’s pre Islamic Revolution’s tyrannical rulers and it’s merely a symbol of despotism of the past and it’s a throne of hatred for all true Iranian Moslems who will have to gaze upon its site! If at any point there were any doubts about Islamic Republic’s disdain for Iranians, their culture and their heritage, this should now be adequate proof.Additionally, Khamenei said that the achievements, art and literature of Iran only came to matter after the advent of Islam and Iranians' conversion to the good religion!"

//www.isna.ir/main/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-1127...


Maryam Hojjat

Sad Indeed!

by Maryam Hojjat on

I am very sad for my country.  I wish world would be cleaned from these Islamist fundamentalists.

I can not wait to see a free IRAN without these filty, hairy, gangester mullah!

May God protect IRAN from Its # one enemies (Akhondes).


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That's old news

by Iva (not verified) on

Islam can not coexist with other cultures, therefore, it must destroy whatever it comes in contact with and which doesn't conform to islamic cult. This simple fact has been evident for at least 1400 years .. from the time when arab invaders burnt libraries in Iran saying whatever a person needs to know, he can find in qoran and if there a knowledge out there that is not in qoran then it must be blasphemy to today Iran and Afghanistan that moslems systematically destroy any artifacts that says, there were and still are things that are much much greater than islamic cult.

Did you know that IRI dynamited Ark shah in Tabriz, right after the so called revolution, in an attempt to destroy it and did cause damage to portion of it, but they failed to destroy it completely. So, they built a huge “mosla” (sh*thouse) right next to it without any consideration for Ark’s structural damage to hide it from view.

And how about when ayatooleh meshkini who sent a group of idiots with bulldozers to destroy Takht-e-Jamshid. Luckily, people back then stood in front of that aytooleh and didn’t let him accomplish his devilish act.


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Excellent article

by 11101932 (not verified) on

Let us wait and see how the Islamists and their paid apologists will respond to this documented and well-reasoned article. They will call you all kinds of unspeakable names. That's all they can do, since they are unable to hang you from high cranes at public squares as they do so to even teenagers. You put your finger on it, Mr. Imani. These mullahs -- that includes the non-turbaned creatures working as the akhoond's front-men and pawns--are agents of destruction and death. They have a ball plundering Iran and are looking forward to their rewards in Allah's paradise for their dastardly acts here on earth. As they see it, it is a win-win proposition for them.
Sadly, huge numbers of Iranians are hood-wincked into supporting these leeches and believing in their pie-in-the-sky promises. It is time for Muslims to wake up and toss this cult of destruction and death out of office.


Mona 19

That's their Specialty ...

by Mona 19 on

Theses historical sites belong to all Iranian and the world.

They destroy whatever treathen them...they 've done the same thing to our holy places,cemeteries....

If the treats are people,they'll jail or kill them, if they're buildings they'll demolish them,if they are books, they'll burn or ripe them,....

How "Ignorant" and "Blind" they are to think if they destroy sth physically, they take away its greatness!!!!

 

P.S.Even though we don't share the same belief when it comes to Islam but Thank you for this article Mr.Imani.

Respectfully,Mona